Estate & legacy planning
Estate and legacy planning covers the coordination of wills, trusts, beneficiary designations, lifetime gifting, generation-skipping and dynasty planning, and the implementation work that sits between the attorney's documents and the household balance sheet. Advisors listed here coordinate closely with trusts-and-estates counsel and carry the plan forward through life events.
By the numbers
The Wellspent public graph lists 6,173 fee-only financial advisors focused on estate & legacy planning at 2,325 firms, most in Houston, San Diego and Austin. 44% hold the CFP certification. Of the 6162 with fees on file, 91% charge percentage of assets.
- Advisors listed
- 6,173
- Firms
- 2,325
- Cities
- 1,184
- Hold the CFP
- 44%
- Other credentials: CFA 9% · CPA 2% · EA 1%
- How they charge (of 6162 with fees on file): percentage of assets 91% · fixed fees 54% · hourly 44% · ongoing planning fee 12%
Source: Wellspent public graph, data as of . Shares are of advisors listed here; an advisor can hold several credentials or fee types. Methodology
Advisors with depth in estate & legacy planning
| Advisor | Firm | City | Credentials | Fees |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joel Chouinard | SharpEdge Financial LLC | Southlake | CFP, ChFC | Flat fee or retainer, One-time planning fee |
| Joel Huet | White Sand Wealth Management, LLC | Liberty | CFP, CTFA, MBA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| John West | Spraker West Wealth Management, Inc. | Winter Park | CFP, MBA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jonathan McAlister | Integrity Road Wealth Partners LLC | Houston | CFP, MBA, CKA | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Jonathan Pixley | Realm Financial Planning, LLC | Tulsa | CFP | One-time planning fee, Ongoing planning fee |
| Jordan Drinkhouse | Glow Financial Planning LLC | Spring Hill | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Josue Luque De Julio | Next Gen Financial Planning | San Diego | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Julie Quick | Cultivate Financial Wellness | Howell | BFA, CDFA, CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Justin Reede | Integrity Road Wealth Partners LLC | Houston | CFP, CKA | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Kaysi Gordon | Kaysi Gordon Financial Planning | Valley Stream | CFP, CPA, MBA | Percentage of assets, One-time planning fee |
| Kyle Newell | Newell Wealth Management | Winter Garden | CFP, CRPC | Percentage of assets, One-time planning fee |
| Laryssa Freeman | Meritage Wealth Management LLC | Carlsbad | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Laura Rotter | True Abundance Advisors | White Plains | CFP, CFA, MBA | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Laurie Licata | PDS Planning, Inc. | Dublin | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Leo Lavezza | Financial Consulate, Inc. | Fernandina Beach | CFP, CPA, MBA, CIMA | Ongoing planning fee |
| Leslie Rosenberg | Humanize Wealth | Seattle | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Lynn Chen-Zhang | Zhang Financial | Bloomfield Hills | CFP, CPA, MBA, MS | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Martin Watkins | TrueNorth Wealth | Salt Lake City | BA, CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Michael Dunlop | Ignite Financial | Cedar Falls | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Michael Reynolds | Elevation Financial | Westfield | AIF, CFP, CFT-I, Chartered SRI Counselor | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Michael Rivas | Bienvenue Wealth LLC | New Orleans | BS, CFP, EA, CPA | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Michael Spivak | Not listed | Toronto | CFP, CPA, CMA | Hourly, Flat fee or retainer |
| Nate Nieri | Modern Money Management | San Diego | CFP, MSBA, MBA | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Patrick Bourbon Objective, holistic planning for U.S. residents and cross-border families navigating tax and regulatory rules in more than one country. | Bourbon Financial Management | Chicago | CFA, CFP, MSEE, MSFS | Subscription |
| Patti Hughes | Lake Life Wealth Advisory Group LLC | Chicago | CFP, CPA | Ongoing planning fee |
| R. Shea Newton | Financial Journey LLC | Pensacola | CFP, EA, RICP | One-time planning fee, Percentage of assets |
| Rafael Melendez | Next Gen Financial Planning | San Diego | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Raman Singh | Singh PWM | Phoenix | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Renee Collins | Retire Ready Inc. | Olympia Fields | CFP, CPA, AFC | One-time planning fee, Ongoing planning fee |
| Robert Stoll | Financial Design Studio, Inc. | Deer Park | CFA, CFP | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Robert Tull | Tull Financial Group, Inc. | Chesapeake | CFP, MBA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Roland McIntyre | Mountaintop Wealth LLC | Chattanooga | CFP, ChFC | Percentage of assets, One-time planning fee |
| Rosario Chacón | Wealth-Source Financial | Oakland | CFP, CSLP, CDFA, EA | Ongoing planning fee, Percentage of assets |
| Ryan Bennett | Kelda Wealth Management | Cuyahoga Falls | CFP | Percentage of assets, One-time planning fee |
| Ryan Langan | Your Path Fi, LLC | West Chester | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Ryan McClung | Crossroads Wealth Planning | Lake Oswego | CEPA, CFP, CPA | Hourly, One-time planning fee |
| Said Israilov | Israilov Financial | San Francisco | CFP | Percentage of assets, One-time planning fee |
| Sakis Salas | Acropolis Investment Management, LLC | Chesterfield | CFP, CPA, CRPC | Percentage of assets |
| Sara Casale | Cornerstone Financial Planning, LLC | Portland | CFP, BS, MBA | Percentage of assets |
| Scott Newhouse | Forthright Finances | Scottsdale | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Scott Sturgeon | Oread Wealth Partners | Leawood | CFP, JD, MBA | Percentage of assets |
| Sean Dwyer | Overture Wealth Management LLC | Conshohocken | CFP, CFA, EA | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Seth Shepherd "Financial Advisor" didn't make sense to us, so we built Pillar Wealth to reflect people in 2026 instead of 1990. Don't be stuck in the past with an old, outdated formula that incentivizes laziness. Avoid any AUM model. Avoid someone labeled "Financial Advisor" who sells products like insurance. | Pillar Wealth | Franklin | CFP | Hourly, One-time planning fee |
| Shannon Grey | InvestEdge Planning | San Diego | CFP, CRPC | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Shar-Né Warren | Financial Excavation | Plano | CFP, CRPC | Flat fee or retainer, Hourly |
| Spenser Liszt | Motif Planning | Dallas | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Sridhar Krishnan | Encover Personal Finance LLC | Fremont | BS, CFP, MBA | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Stephan Shipe Flat-fee, team-reviewed planning for DIY investors and families with complex wealth, from equity compensation to business exits. | Scholar Financial Advising | Winston-Salem | CFP, CFA, PhD | Flat fee or retainer |
| Stephanie Loeffel | Ascend Financial LLC | Scituate | CFP | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Stephanie Trexler | Golden Goose Wealth Planning | Grand Rapids | CFP, MS, MSFP | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
Guides
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Estate attorney vs financial planner: who does what in an estate plan
An estate attorney drafts and signs the legal documents: wills, trusts, powers of attorney. A financial planner works out what those documents should do and keeps beneficiaries, accounts and taxes lined up. Most people need the attorney for the documents and a planner for the rest.
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Estate planning in Canada: what you need and what it costs
A Canadian estate plan is a will, two powers of attorney, up-to-date beneficiary designations and a plan for the tax due at death. The documents come from a lawyer or notary; a one-time plan from a fee-only planner costs a median C$1,900.
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Setting up an estate plan: the documents and the order
A basic estate plan is a will, a durable financial power of attorney, a healthcare directive and up-to-date beneficiary forms, plus a revocable trust for many families. Federal estate tax starts at $15 million in 2026, but some states tax estates from $1 million. A one-time plan from a fee-only planner costs a median $2,000.
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After a death in the family: the first 90 days
In the first 90 days, get death certificates, secure the home and accounts, find the will and let the deadlines set the order. Most money decisions can wait. A few can't, including Social Security paid for the month of death and, for estates that need one, an estate tax return due 9 months after the death.
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How to review your beneficiary designations
Beneficiary forms decide who receives your retirement accounts, life insurance and transfer-on-death accounts, whatever your will says. Check every form after a marriage, divorce, birth or death. A divorce doesn't reliably remove an ex from a workplace plan, and a 401(k) generally goes to your spouse unless they sign a witnessed waiver.
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Financial planning for a blended family
In a second marriage, the default rules often leave everything to the new spouse and nothing to children from before. Beneficiary forms, trusts and a written agreement fix that. A one-time plan from a fee-only planner costs a median $2,000.